


beginning of the end

by Dragon



Category: Sanctuary (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2011-05-22
Updated: 2011-06-29
Packaged: 2017-10-19 17:07:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,420
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/203174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dragon/pseuds/Dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Continued by request.</p><p>After the events of Awakening, Helen Magnus and Nikola Tesla must deal with the consequences and the challenges that come along each step of the way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This was a request by a friend on tumblr. She requested Helen/Nikola after the episode 'Awakening' and bonding over Helen being pregnant. I tried not to make it an overload on the fluff.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own anyone/anything related to Sanctuary at all.

Helen Magnus was many things. A close friend should you be trustworthy enough to earn her friendship, a highly intelligent scientist who had seen far too much in her long lifespan, or an enemy that could take you out before you could even apologize. The list went on, the numerous titles adding up as her life continued it’s unnatural length. One of those particular titles had been crossed off the list quite some time ago, but now, it had suddenly added itself to the bottom as of ten seconds ago.

She pinched the bridge of her nose with one hand as she paced across the infirmary. She needed to think. How did this happen? Oh, she knew quite well how it had happened - she just couldn’t believe she’d been stupid enough to allow it to occur. But it wasn’t just her fault. Oh no, she wasn’t taking the entire blame for it.

Sighing, shoulders slumping ever so slightly, she turned her attention back to the computer monitor as it displayed the results of her blood test. It was ninety-nine point nine percent accurate, and in Helen’s scientific mind she knew that point one percent of an error made little difference. The computer wasn’t lying; the data on screen marked her as positively pregnant.

With an irritated look, she erased all memory of the data and the screen went blank.

Fear and panic coiled in her belly like a twisted snake and settled there, unwilling to leave. She was too afraid, too worried that something would happen. Helen knew without a doubt she couldn’t do it again. She loved children, yes, but raising another, living in fear that someone might happen to it like what had happened to Ashely . . . no, Helen wouldn’t be able to handle the loss of another child.

Even before then, it was entirely possible she had enemies now that would use any child of hers against her (again) no matter how young. If she managed to carry full term, even, considering her first pregnancy had been high-risk. This one seemed even worse, considering the situation. Someone, like the Cabal, could see it reason to terminate her pregnancy during a fight or a mission (although it was unlikely she’d go on missions after a certain point). As a toddler, her child could be kidnapped and killed - the danger was there all around her and Helen couldn’t handle it.

She curled her hands into fists to keep them from trembling the way they were. She needed to stop it. She’d done this last time, too - run through every possible bad situation and automatically think the worst about everything. All mothers did it, and Helen was no exception, save for this time, there was far more danger than she’d first realized. It made her just as sick as the morning sickness that had plagued her for the past week and a half had.

Really, she should have saw the symptoms earlier. After all, she’d done it before. The sudden exhaustion, the nausea, her swift changes in mood - she’d battled with them all, mostly since she’d got back from her latest mission. Whether her mind had tried to deny it or whether she just refused to be sick, Helen wasn’t sure. But something had clicked in her mind that particular morning and she’d drawn her own blood during lunch, tested it, and the computer had spat the postive results back out at her.

Now, what to do?

There were several options, besides one: termination. Helen downright refused to do it. She’d been raised to believe all life was sacred, even if unplanned, and she absolutely put her foot down when it came to ridding herself of a life that couldn’t even defend itself yet just because she hadn’t planned it and she was scared as hell. She would carry to full term is possible, but what then?

Keep it? Being the global sanctuary network head, leader of the Old City sanctuary, and a mother all at once seemed overwhelming - she’d not had nearly as much work when Ashley had been that young, and by the time she had gained that heavy amount of work, Ashley had been old enough to take care of herself, or at least mostly could, with the occassional help of her old friend or Henry, who was practically her older brother. Helen had raised him, too.

Adoption seemed a more dangerous route, considering the genes of the baby. Abnormalcy was likely, and Helen didn’t fancy hunting down her own child when it was old enough and was causing havok across the city.

For once, Helen had no plan, not even a clue on how to proceed.

Leaving the infirmary seemed to be a good step one, so she did. Out the door, Helen found her feet carried her toward the lift so she could head back up to the upper levels. Something to eat was starting to sound good the more she thought about it, if only she could find something that would stay down for more than ten minutes. It seemed like a better plan than locking herself in her office or in the library for the next six hours while she decided on a plan of action.

She found the kitchen was empty, much to her joy. As she searched through the pantry and fridge for sustence, she began to take inventory of who was where for the day, having momentarily been too distracted to even think about it before.

Will and Henry were in Henry’s liar, as it had been dubbed, working on upgrades to the security system as well as filing the reports she had given them both yesterday evening. Kate was likely making her rounds with the Big Guy, checking on the residents. That left Nikola, who, to her knowledge, had locked himself away in his lab for the day much like she had planned to do with her office or library. So she practically had the sanctuary to herself - the boys wouldn’t be out of their labs until dinnertime, at least.

Satisfied with a cup of ginger tea and the baby carrots she’d come across, Helen made her way leisurly up toward her office. Despite her near mental breakdown over being pregnant, she still had work to get done. Focusing on it, however, would be a task entirely on it’s own.

Three reports in and she was already struggling to maintain a steady work pace. Sighing, Helen flung the next one away and sat her pen down. Her hands came up to rub her temples. If she was already this stressed out, how the hell was she going to handle the next several months, let alone years?

The door to her office swung open and her old friend came in, bearing a tray with another mug of tea and a plate of fruit, along with a plastic pill bottle she didn’t quite recognize.

“Feeling better?” He asked and she nodded silently, reaching for a piece of fruit before her attention turned to the plastic pill bottle. A frown crossed her face - pre-natal vitamins. Her gaze flickered up to her friend.

“It sometimes astounds me on how much you’re aware of.” Helen said after a moment and he gave her a knowing grin.

“You should rest.”

“If I wasn’t so wired and didn’t have so much work, believe me I would.” She admitted quietly. It was possible for her to let Will do most of the work, but he already had the filing, plus whatever he was working on with Henry. She didn’t want to overburden him with work.

“At least lay down on the couch to work?”

Helen gave a tired smile.

“Now that I can work with.”

She gathered up her files and her laptop as Big Guy moved the tray over to the coffee table in front of the couch in her office. Helen kicked off her heels and sank into the cushions, setting aside her work momentarily to take one of the vitamins she’d been brought. Her friend gave her an approving smile that she returned before he left the room, leaving Helen to her work and her thoughts.

Her workoholic tendencies kicked in shortly after as she fought to get comfortable on the couch and soon all thoughts of children and fears were banished from her mind as the reports completely took over. Each individual report was filled out based on their recent missions and the creatures they had encountered or captured, as well as inventories, order forms, budgets, investor forms, and other various things related to the day to day life of the sanctuary. She had e-mails reminding her of a conference in London two weeks from then, an inquery from the Moscow Sanctuary Head, and a reply to one of the Tokyo scientists on how to care for one of the Abnormals they’d just captured.

It was well after dinner by the time she finished. As she finished her last few reports, she came up with an outline of a plan. First step?

Inform Nikola Tesla of his impending fatherhood.

It wasn’t just her decision - he’d had just as much to do with it as she had. While she wasn’t entirely sure on what his decision would be, he deserved to know.

Knowing he was likely to still be in his lab, Helen replaced everything on her desk and headed for the lift. Her nerves were starting up again, but Helen put a stop to them as best as she possibly could before the lift doors opened on the next floor. She walked in an almost daze to the third door on the right and found the door was open. She stepped in, knocking lightly on the doorframe.

“Nikola?”

There was several loud noises and a serbian swear uttered before Nikola appeared on the side of one lab table. His hair stuck in several directions and there was a smudge of something dark along his face, a metal piece of something caught in each hand.

“Am I interrupting something?” She inquired as he tossed the metal bits onto the table. Her nerves continued to sweep over her and she leaned against a lab table to try and steady herself again.

“No, not really. Another failed work in progress.” He muttered and pulled out a handkerchief to rub his face clean. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong.”

“You look as if you’re about to pass out, Helen.” He said in a much gentler tone. Helen gave a weary, nearly forced laugh.

“I just might.” She admitted quietly when she felt the dizziness wash over her. She took a deep breath in through her nose and let it out through her mouth. Get it together, Helen! She was trying, by God, but it wasn’t working. She felt her knees buckle as her world began to tilt. Her vision tunneled and she lost all ability to remain standing in that fleeting moment. Thankfully, Nikola was suddenly there to catch her, arms hooking beneath her back and knees to lift her into his arms.

“I’m taking you to the infirmary.” He told her and she twisted in his arms, trying to bring herself back long enough to focus.

“No! - Just . . . take me to my room. I’ll explain.” She managed to get out. Nikola seemed to hesitate, but followed her orders nonetheless. Helen was aware of blacking out momentarily, for the next thing she knew she was being lain across her bed and a cool clothe was being pressed against her forehead. Her stomach was already protesting, but she was able to control that much more than she was able to control the dizziness.

She was silent for a moment as she pulled the clothe down over her eyes, trying to put it off for just a moment more. Nikola’s prying fingers pulled it off and she flinched slightly, still waiting for it to pass.

“Want to tell me why you just nearly passed out in my lab? You’re the only one I’ll ever let get away with that, by the way.” He said with his usual cheeky grin. Helen returned it with a tired smile.

“Don’t I just feel special.”

“When was the last time you ate?”

“It has nothing to do with my eating habits, thank you. I ate a few hours ago.” She muttered. Nikola gestured for her to continue as he removed his jacket and sat on the edge of the bed beside her. Helen let out a lengthy sigh.

“I haven’t been feeling well recently, so I ran a diagnostic on myself this morning to see why I was so sick. I found elevated levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, and estrogen when I did a blood test and -.”

“English, Helen, if you don’t mind.”

“Nikola, I’m pregnant.”

She could see in his eyes that he was thinking back, from where they had returned from their mission involving the vampire queen some time ago, and the events that had eventually transpired because of it. The gears in his head were turning as he studied Helen’s face, gaze flickering between it and her stomach as if he believed her to suddenly jump up and yell ‘surprise!’ right in his face.

“How did that happen?” He asked.

“You’re a genius, Nikola, and you don’t know where babies come from?” She tried meekly, watching as he got to his feet and began to pace, a serious expression on his face. Helen watched him for a moment until his antics started making her dizzy again. She rolled over onto her side instead and picked a spot to stare at on the wall.

“Whatever we decide to do, we both are to agree on it.” She said in a much softer tone. Having known Nikola for quite some time, Helen was at a mild loss because she wasn’t able to read his expression and reaction at that moment. His footsteps on the carpet stopped somewhere near her bedroom window behind her.

“I think it’s quite obvious what we do.” Nikola said.

“Enlighten me.”

She didn’t recieve a response, but a few moments later she felt the mattress sink down as he climbed into bed with her. His arm came to wrap around her midsection and he pulled her closer, leaving Helen no room to protest. Her hand moved to cover his.

“I’m not sure I can do this again, Nikola. If anything were to happen -.”

“You’re thinking negatively. Stop.”

“I can’t.” She replied, her head twisting to look at him. “With everything that’s happened, with the sort of nonsense we’re involved with daily - do you honestly think it’s wise and safe?”

“It may not be, but I have faith you can keep whatever genius child we have safe and sound from any sort of harm.”

“I couldn’t last time.”

“Then we’ll just be more neurotic and protective this time. Although, it could be our child could protect itself. After all, it’s likely to be highly intelligent with dashing looks and powerful abnormal abilities.” Nikola replied.

“Yes, well, if this thing turns out to be a vampire and decides to claw it’s way out and breaks my spine when it’s born, I’m blaming you entirely.” She muttered.

“Fair enough.”

Helen twisted her entire body, shifting so that she could curl into Nikola’s surprisingly comforting embrace. He’d always been her closest friend, ever since they’d been the two outcasts at Oxford all those years ago. Despite his sarcastic, witty, and mildly annoying tendencies, Helen was quite comforted by the fact he was likely to be just as overprotective and neurotic as she was.

“Now we just have to tell the others.”

“I’ll leave that to you. You are their boss, after all.” Nikola replied, fingers trailing across her back in circular movements that instantly soothed all nausea she’d been feeling in that moment. She could have gone to sleep right then and there.

“Your demon spawn makes me exhausted.”

“Mine? I believe it’s just as much of yours as it is mine. Besides, our demon spawn will rule the world.”

“Mhm, but you seduced me.” Helen replied with a half smile. Nikola twisted them both so she was suddenly lying on top of him. He smirked.

“Would you like me to do it again?”

“Cheeky bastard.” She muttered, hovering above him. He reached up and tucked hair behind her ear before his lips captured hers in a fleeting kiss. Warmth flooded Helen’s body, dispelling all panic and fear for the time being. It was still there, though, in the recesses of her mind - but Nikola was right, and she needed to stop thinking so negatively. Holding the title of ‘mother’ again did elate and excite her as well. It would be an entirely new challenge, especially since a father figure would be around this time.

She was rather looking forward to it.

“I love you, you know.” Nikola said casually when she pulled away and he released her, so she could curl back against his side to sleep. Helen smiled.

“And I you, father of our demon spawn.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Hey, Bella and Edward: if you two are done bickering about names out there, you’d do well to know you should be coming up on the creature now.”
> 
> Helen goes on what is likely to be her last mission before she takes her leave, and deals with very interesting circumstances.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not particularly happy about this chapter, but I have decided to continue it as a little series. Hope you enjoy!

Love and trust were two things that Helen Magnus was quite wary about. Both had been shattered many, many times, and to earn one, let alone both, was a feat that was far past impossible. Helen hardly ever wanted to pick up the pieces, and never wanted to hand her love and trust over to anyone. She was far too afraid of being hurt again. John had been the worst by far, but she had done well enough to mask her pain. That pain had run deep, like a gash, and shattered many of her hopes for a normal life. Her relationship with James hadn’t lasted long enough for her to be too attached when they had agreeably broken up to remain friends.

Nikola, however, had always had some hold on her heart, and she trusted him fully, despite what anyone else said in attempts to change her mind. That had started some time ago when she had fallen from a second story balcony and Nikola had caught her at the bottom, always promising to catch her when she fell. Literally, he had not, but figuratively - well, she had fallen in love and he had been right there to catch her.

With him, Helen was quite sure if they somehow ended up breaking up, it would shatter her again, far more than John ever did. She was putting her full faith in Nikola and herself, however, that it would never come to that - at least for the sake of their future child. The kid already had neurotic, overprotective, Abnormal parents, so adding fighting to that list would probably not help it’s development.

But, for now, Helen only had her thoughts to worry about.

Well, that, the dark forest surrounding her, and the voice coming through her ear-bud.

“I think we should consider the name Nicholas.”

Helen sighed heavily.

“Nikola, we’re not having this discussing right now.” She said quietly - there was a mouthpiece Henry had developed that was attached to one of her molars that allowed her voice to be heard when she spoke, even at a whisper.

“Now is as good of a time as any.” Came the static filled response in return. Helen rolled her eyes and didn’t respond, instead letting her gaze sweep the area. The abnormal they were after was rather unique: a shape-shifter, with the ability to appear like anything or anyone. Helen had been hesistant about going, but since she and Nikola were the only two with the Source Blood in their systems, if two Helen Magnuses returned or two Nikola Teslas, Will would be able to test the blood of both to determine the real one.

“We could always name it something simple like Tyler or Peter.”

“Nikola!” She hissed. She paused a moment, then sighed. “What are you going to do if it’s a girl?”

She could almost hear him smirk.

“There’s Mary or Sally or Lily, if we’re going simple.”

“Those are too simple.”

“I don’t see you giving any suggestions.”

Helen opened her mouth to speak again, but Henry’s voice cut across the static in her ear before she could say anything.

“Hey, Bella and Edward: if you two are done bickering out there, you’d do well to know you should be coming up on the creature now.”

“Very funny, HAP. I do not sparkle.”

“Shut up!” Helen cut across whatever response Henry was likely to give. “Any further radio contact better be related to this mission, or else.”

When she recieved silence in response, Helen was satisfied. There was a clearing up ahead that Henry had tracked the creatures to, so Helen removed the tranquilizer gun from it’s holster on her left and checked to make sure the darts were loaded. Assured, she proceeded forward as quietly as possible.

Helen stopped at the edge of the clearing and allowed her gaze to sweep across it. In the fading sunlight, it was hard to spot anything, but one figure was clear, pale skin standing out among the trees as it emerged from the opposite side.

“Nikola!” Helen snapped as she stood from her hiding spot, emerging into the clearing herself. Nikola merely smirked, almost seductively, and came toward her. Helen met him halfway across the clearing.

“What the hell are you doing?” She asked, but her words faded as an odd feeling crept over her. She blinked, the hair on the back of her neck standing up for a moment. A warmth coiled in her belly and she frowned as it spread outward. Her mind grew mildly fogged as she tried to focus, but suddenly she was only aware of Nikola.

He pulled her into a ravishing kiss that nearly melted her into a pool of nothingness then and there. Gun still in hand, she tangled her free fingers in his hair and kissed him ferociously in return. His arms wrapped tight around her waist and pulled her closer to him. For a long time, Helen was only aware that she and Nikola existed in the entire world. Things could have gone to hell around them and she wouldn’t have cared in the slightest.

“Nikola,” She murmured against his lips when she came up for air. “Not here.”

His only response was to reclaim her mouth. His hands slipped beneath her jacket and began to trail circles up her back. Her mind was telling her to rip his clothes off then and there. Her entire body was on fire, lit with something she couldn’t quite explain. The fire rushed through her arms and legs, telling her to continue her sexual advanced with Nikola, who seemed more than happy to oblige her sudden need.

Something was off, though, and not right. Helen’s mind had to fight through the fog before the alarm bells starting ringing and going off in her mind. Wrong. Wrong. Stop kissing him.

Then she remembered what she had been told about the shape-shifting creature. The pheremones it gave off . . . . This isn’t Nikola.

With a bit of difficultly, she forced herself to focus completely. She pressed hard against Not-Nikola’s chest and forced him away. He frowned and Helen took several steps back, trying to distance herself from him and the pheremones. They were still impacting her, and heavily - she wanted no more than to fling Not-Nikola on the ground then and there and kiss him senseless, among other things. Breathing heavily, she thought of other things besides Nikola. Anything that would un-cloud her mind and get it back to functioning properly. Her skin was still on fire and the burning need was still there, but slowly her mind began to return to normal.

But then it began to fade, and Not-Nikola’s face turned enraged. Before he could seduce her again, however, she raised the gun and fired a tranquilizer dart right into his chest. Not-Nikola’s form seemed to blur with movement as he crumbled to the ground. When he hit, his form changed to that of a thin blonde man who looked as if he’d seen better days.

Breathing heavily, Helen tried to focus.

“I took out one in the clearing.” She managed to get out in a breathless voice.

“All right. Will and Kate are on their way with the Gator.”

“Where’s Nikola?”

“Right here.”

She looked up as Nikola stepped into the clearing (again) and looked down at the body of the shape-shifter that had impersonated him. He came toward her with a look not unlike the one Not-Nikola had come toward her with.

“Don’t even think about it, Nikola. The shape-shifters give off pheremones. Don’t give into them.” She warned, placing her hand flat against his chest. He continued to attempt to walk toward her, forcing her to place her other hand against his chest so that she was putting all of her weight against him. He was stronger than her, however, and pushed hard against her weight. She leaned and pushed harder, attempting to stop his sexual advances.

Easily, he reached up and knocked her arms away and pulled her into his embrace.

“What? Don’t you love me, Helen?”

“Focus, Nikola!” She snapped and ducked down, slipping out of his embrace. “I will not hesitate to tranquilize you!”

“Come on - one kiss.”

“No!”

Nikola latched onto her again and pulled her close, his lips suddenly against her neck. She froze as his teeth nipped at the skin just above her jugular.

“Nikola,” She warned. She felt him smile against her neck before he placed a kiss to the pulsing vein in her neck. He trailed kisses along her neck then, down to her expose collar-bone. Helen very much wanted to give in but once again shoved him away.

“Helen -” Nikola began but she threw a hand over his mouth, nails digging into his jaws.

“Nikola, shut up. Now. If you focus, I will kiss you and anything else you may want when we get back home.”

“Too much information, Magnus.” Henry’s voice said in her ear, but she was distracted when Nikola’s tongue darted out and licked her fingers. She jerked her hand away with a look of disgust and utter loathing toward him.

“Angry, Helen?” He asked, smirking. “Why don’t you make me pay?”

“Because you’d clearly like it too much.” She muttered, nearly sighing in relief when she heard the Gator coming through the trees and the headlights shining, breaking through the darkness that had started to settle as the sun disappeared over the tops of the trees. Will and Kate appeared moments later in the Gator, coming to a stop within the clearing. Will gave Helen an almost questioning look, but she gave a minor shake of the head as she all but ran to the Gator.

Between Will and Nikola (who finally focused long enough) they put the shape-shifter’s body into the back of the Gator. Kate climbed back into the front with Will driving, Helen and Nikola settling down in the back with the unconscious form of the shape-shifter. Clinging to the side, she tried to ignore the looks Nikola was giving her as they took off through the trees.

Her body still tingled and burned with unsatisfied hunger as they headed back to base camp. The pheremones still hadn’t worn completely off and were still influencing her as they packed up camp and threw everything into the other two Gators. Henry took the Gator with half the equipment, leaving Will and Kate to the shape-shifter and Helen and Nikola to the third with the other half of the equipment. Helen led the way out of the forest, back toward the remote airstrip where their private jet awaited them.

“What about the name James?” Nikola inquired as they sped along. Helen glanced sideways at him.

“Really, Nikola?”

“I’m bored.”

Helen sighed. Even though he was practically drunk on pheremones, he was still focused on names.

“James is fine, I suppose, as a middle name.” She conceeded after a moment. “You’re still forgetting it might be a girl.”

“Olivia, Alexandra, Abigail - there’s far too many of those that I like.”

“Is it the names, or is it the women?” Helen asked with a slight smirk. Nikola scowled.

“The names.” He replied flatly. “I vote we change the subject, if you‘re going to be like that.”

“Fine by me. We still have five months to decide on names, anyway.” Helen shrugged. She was rather looking forward to when her endless cravings and constant exhaustion would end in four months. The prospect of being a mother again still unnerved her, but the closer she got to the end the more she was looking forward to it. Another challenge she was more than willing to accept and overcome. She’d already informed the other sanctuaries of her situation and they were more than accomadating, if not happy for her.

“I’ve already asked the others this and since they were less than helpful, I might as well ask you.” Nikola began again, leaning back in the seat and letting his head slip back so that he was facing the sky, staring up at the vast amount of stars overhead. They were making their way across the open fields now - the jet sat in the distance, a becon of light. Helen waited for Nikola to continue.

“Do you know how and where I can get a hold of your father?”

Helen arched an eyebrow and looked over at him for a fleeting moment.

“As far as I know, he’s still in Hollow Earth.” She said carefully. “Why?”

“Nothing you should concern yourself with.” He replied. “He and I just need to have a chat.”

Helen frowned, but said nothing as they approached the airstrip. Why Nikola would need to contact her father, she’d never guess. Probably something about another experiment or whatever. Helen had long since learned that asking questions never really got her acceptable or understandable answers from Nikola. Still, it bothered her that he would need to speak with her father. Maybe she’d coerce it out of him later.

As she handed the keys of the Gator over to the group of men hired to assist them, her mind began to turn and gears began to click. Assured they had the loading of the equipment into the plane handled, she followed the others inside and claimed her usual window seat with an order for a hot mug of tea put in. Something was off about Nikola wanting to speak with her father. Now it was bugging her and she wanted to know why that instant.

Nikola spent several minutes talking with Henry before he claimed a glass of wine and joined Helen, sitting across from her. She studied him, debating on how she could convince him to tell her why he suddenly needed to talk with her father.

Something clicked in her mind and all at once her body seized, freezing on the spot. Nikola had always been an old-fashioned sort of man, even with the modern times, which left her with only one excuse that he would need to speak with her father. Mild panic ripped through her chest and she forced herself to calm down.

You don’t know for sure, Helen. Calm down.

“So what experiment are you working on?” She inquired casually and he glanced over at her, swirling the wine around in his glass.

“What are you talking about?”

“I only assumed since you needed to speak with my father that you were asking for his assistance or advice on another experiment.” Helen replied, giving a mild shrug as she fell back into her seat a little more, exhaustion finally settling down over her. Absentmindedly and out of habit anymore, her hands came to rest over the minor swell of her abdomen.

“Asking for something, yes, but it has nothing to do with an experiment.” He responded curtly. “You really can’t stand not knowing, can you?”

“It bothers me mildly, yes.”

He chuckled and returned his gaze to looking out the window. Helen tried to focus on the dark sky outside, but found it highly impossible, just as much as she found falling asleep impossible as well. She kicked off her boots and attempted to get more comfortable, but again, it was impossible.

Nikola, finally sensing her distress, moved to her side and allowed her to curl up against his side in the seat, one of the few ways she found she could indeed find some comfort. Tiredly, she closed her fingers around his free hand and started to force herself to sleep.

But, another thought struck her and she managed to get it out before exhaustion set in full force and sleep over-came her.

“You don’t need his permission, Nikola.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nikola returns from a mission to Helen, who has very exciting news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit more fluffy than normal, with a lot of Helen's thoughts.
> 
> Oh, and tell me, would you be interested in seeing chapters after the baby is born?

Helen had always been independent, so it was a challenge for her to attempt to adjust to having people . . . hovering over her constantly. It seemed the entire team was taking turns hovering over her like she were some fragile, breakable object. Truth be told, she was in her current state, but she was still quite capable of doing things herself.

But, despite her independence, it felt good to give in every once in a while and simply sit. On doctor’s orders (her own, and it seemed to be the general consensus of her team as well) she wasn’t allowed to do much of anything. Will took care of her stacks of paperwork, Henry took care of most of the missions and security measures, and Big Guy made sure everyone gave Helen a thirty foot radius whenever she entered one of her ‘I’m going to eat your soul with a side dish of nails and barbed wire if you don’t do as I say’ moods - which were becoming quite frequent as her pregnancy progressed.

Yes, poor Helen was reduced to playing endless games and browsing the internet on her laptop from the safety of the couch in the lounge or some other equally comfortable part of the building.

She was getting damned good at Minesweeper.

Mostly, however, she was trying to avoid Nikola. He’d started hovering around her frequently and more than once it had ended up in a rather massive fight. Will had seen the sense in separating them before the stress effected Helen or Nikola ended up pinning her against a wall in his vampiric rage. He knew the memories she associated with that, though, after what had occurred in their mission with the vampire queen.

Besides, that was how the whole situation had started to begin with.

Still, she really wished Nikola would start thinking before he spoke. She loved him dearly, but if he kept driving up her already border-line high blood pressure, she was likely to develop eclampsia or HELLP syndrome before the rest of her four months were up.

Lying in bed with her laptop on her lap, Helen was mostly distracted by the sound of the rain outside as it pelted the windows. Thunder accompanied the lightning with loud rumbles somewhere above. She often loved when it rained and this time was no different.

Her laptop made a little noise and she glanced at it – the battery was dying. She shut it and sat it on her bedside table, content with just listening to it rain for the time being. Climbing out of bed, she moved to the large windows so she could get a better look.

She hated to think of Nikola out in that weather. He’d volunteered for a mission after their last argument and Helen had let him go, deciding they both needed a bit of space. Even in the vast, expansive sanctuary, they were often still too close to each other too much of the time. At one time Helen had craved him just to be in the same room as her; now she could hardly stand it.

Nikola had called in earlier that day, though, and said he was on his way home after four days in the jungles of South America, so Helen’s worries had dimmed. Even in her anger and frustration at him she couldn’t stay angry – she’d known him far too long for that. She just needed to learn to take him more in strides than she had been recently. Then again, her hormones weren’t exactly helping, either.

Behind her, she heard the door open and turned, the rest of her worry trickling away when she saw that it was Nikola. He was soaking wet and exhaustion was etched deep within his face, but still he managed a meager smirk when he saw her. Wrapping her robe tighter around her, she went to him and began to pull him out of his wet clothes.

“So eager to get me naked, Helen? I’ve been back five minutes.” He said and Helen hid the smile that she so desperately wanted to smile. She’d gone years without a word from Nikola before, but now – now she could barely stand a few days, it seemed. She tried to stay angry at him, but it appeared it just wasn’t happening. Not with him coming in looking like a wet cat.

“I just don’t want you to get hypothermia.”

“Vampires don’t get hypothermia.”

“Well I’m not going to take that chance.”

He didn’t respond, allowing Helen to peel the soaking clothes from his body like a second layer of skin and hang them over the shower rod in the bathroom to dry for the time being. While she did, he changed clothes.

“How did the mission go?” She asked as she re-entered the bedroom with a towel. He was buttoning up his shirt near the window, watching it rain like she had been several minutes earlier. He turned as she spoke.

“As well as can be expected. MacRae will have the full report to you by tomorrow.” Nikola replied. He’d been in the jungle with a few other members from the UK sanctuary, since Will, Kate, and Henry had been unavailable for the mission. Helen nodded her approval and took the towel to his hair, ruffling it a bit more than needed. He squirmed and protested, but she ignored it until she was satisfied enough to remove it. Naturally, it left his hair in several different directions.

“You seem overly concerned for someone who threw a stapler at me before I left.” He commented as she tossed the towel into the bathroom. Helen didn’t respond, but silently drew him into a tight hug. He responded, pulling her close and burying his face in her hair.

“I’m sorry.” She muttered.

“I know.”

They stood like that for a long moment until a particularly loud clap of thunder startled Helen and she pulled away to look at the window. The lightning flash that lit up the room struck a little too close for her liking, but it reminded her of what she had intended to tell Nikola when he arrived home. A smile crossing her face, she moved to the nightstand and picked up the paperclip and thimble she’d been playing with earlier.

“Throw these at me.” Helen placed then into Nikola’s hands and took a few steps back.

“What?”

“Just do it.”

Warily, Nikola chucked the thimble at her. Helen didn’t move or deflect it, and Nikola watched as it hit her stomach and stuck in place rather than tumbling to the ground. He arched an eyebrow and repeated the action with the paperclip, where it stuck a few inches below.

“I’m going to assume that it’s demon spawn’s doing?” He inquired as she picked them off with minor difficulty.

“Yes. I discovered it today when my bracelet got stuck.” Helen replied, holding up her arm to show off the antique charm bracelet that had once been a gift from James, but the charms had been from all sorts of others.

“Let’s just hope that’s the extent that it’s inherited from me.” Nikola said after a moment, moving closer, his gaze flickering from her stomach to her face. Her face was impassive, but Helen silently agreed. Knowing her child was abnormal already made her war – but if it was a vampire, that would open up a whole new challenge Helen wasn’t quite sure she could handle just yet. Magnetic abilities would be easy enough to handle, but in her opinion one vampire was already quite enough to handle.

“I did an ultrasound and everything this morning. The baby checked out perfectly healthy and normal with no visible abnormal qualities.” Helen retaliated. “I even called Erica to double-check and she said as long as everything appeared fine there was no need to worry.”

Erica had become Helen’s own doctor, so to speak, since it would be nearly impossible for Helen to deliver her own baby. She was scheduling her next visit with Henry to be in the weeks that surrounded Helen’s due-date so she could be at the sanctuary when the time came.

“Do we have female demon spawn or male demon spawn?” Nikola inquired. “I was under the impression your merry men had a bet about that.”

Helen had to hide a smile at his reference to Will, Kate, and Henry.

“They do. And are you sure you want to know? I thought we were keeping it a secret?”

“Just between you and me.” Nikola prodded.

For a long moment, Helen didn’t reply and instead climbed into bed, sliding between the blankets. Nikola arched an eyebrow, but followed suit. It was as if no argument had occurred between them, for Helen instantly curled into his side and rested her head on his chest, the way she normally slept.

“We’re going to have a daughter.” She murmured, gaze never leaving his face as she judged his reaction. “You’re going to be fending off boys right and left when she’s older. She’ll come to you when she’s gotten into a huge fight with me. She’ll beg you for everything under the sun and more and you’ll give it to her.”

Nikola didn’t say anything for a long moment, merely stared at the ceiling. Then, his lips twisted into a smirk, and he spoke.

“No dating until she’s thirty.”

Helen stifled a laugh, but a sharp jab alerted her to something moving within her abdomen. Certainly the baby had moved before, but she’d never kicked or punched that hard. Helen drew away from Nikola and sat up a moment, hand resting over the place where she’d kicked. She felt another jab against her hand and smiled.

“I don’t think she likes that idea very much.” Helen murmured, then took his hand. “Nikola, you have to feel this.”

She placed his hand beneath hers, both of hers over his one. He sat up beside her, waiting. Helen felt the kick and her smile grew brighter.

“Does she always do that?” Nikola inquired. Helen shook her head.

“Usually she just moves. That’s the first time I’ve felt her kick.” She admitted in a half whisper, though she wasn’t really certain who would be listening in to their conversation. Helen was afraid if she spoke too loudly, though, the moment would be broken. Nikola’s hand remained there for several long moments, hers covering his, until the baby finally settled and stopping kicking.

“We’re having a baby, Nikola. We’re going to be parents.” Helen said as if the realization had just hit her, twisting her head to look at him.

“To a female demon spawn who’s going to overthrow the world with her magnetic abilities.” Nikola replied seriously, falling back into the pillows. Helen remained sitting for a moment longer.

“She’s not going to overthrow the world.” Helen said, rolling her eyes. “Although now there’s going to be no hope in keeping her hidden from my work. I introduced Ashley at such a young age – I wanted to keep this baby separated from all of that. At least until it was older.” She sighed and sank back into the pillows as well, tucking her hands beneath her head as she lay on her side, looking at Nikola.

“Hiding part of her heritage from her would not be in any of our best interests.” Nikola agreed. “But perhaps we can steer her clear of the basement for a while.”

“But for how long? Not to mention when she starts school. It’s likely to be tough enough on her already without the addition of abnormal abilities.” She continued. “I don’t want her to shed her innocence and go from dresses to black leather in the short amount of time Ashley did. I’m determined to raise this one differently.” Just so she doesn’t get hurt, Helen added mentally.

“I’m sure everything will work out.” Nikola replied, tucking his hands behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling. Helen nodded, although she still wasn’t quite so sure.

“You don’t seem overly concerned.”

“Why worry yourself over something that won’t even come up for several years?”

“Because it’s something that should be concerning to you, Nikola. If she gets involved in this line of work like Ashley, I very well may be burying another empty casket. I can’t go through that again. You have no idea how bad the pain of losing a child is – it’s something that never truly heals.” Helen replied, free hand reaching over to rub the scars on her arm that were left from Ashley’s attack. They were the only physical scars she could touch – the rest were emotional scars, left unable to heal on her heart and in her mind.

“Hopefully you never have to feel that pain again, and I never have to experience it.” Nikola said curtly. Helen never did want to experience it again.

“It hurts.”

Helen turned on her side and Nikola shifted against her from behind, one arm wrapping around her and coming to rest over the hand she had on her stomach. His face was buried in her neck, in her hair, his lips pressing kisses along the exposed skin there. Her fingers closed over his, trembling. He clutched her fingers tightly, thumb running across her knuckles and tracing the engagement ring around her finger.

“I promised you when I gave you this. Nothing will ever happen to you or our demon spawn.” He murmured. “You’re going to make yourself sick if you don’t stop worrying.”

“Already sick.” She muttered, her face half buried in her pillow. She wasn’t sure if it was her own worrying or the baby making her sick, but either way it was if her morning sickness had suddenly returned. Her stomach churned and rolled, even under Nikola’s smooth circles across it.

“Stop it, Helen. You’re going to give yourself an ulcer.”

“There’s just absolutely too much that could possibly go wrong, Nikola, and at any given point most of what could go wrong plays out in my head. It’s in my nightmares every night and it’s in my head when I’m not strictly focused on work or something else.”

“People have children constantly and not too many bad things occur.”

“Their parents don’t work in the same field as us.” Helen muttered. “I don’t know what I’m going to do if something happens to her. Or if something happens to us and she’s left alone.”

“Yes, whatever will she do with a werewolf, a psychologist, a mercenary, and Bigfoot as her new parents?”

Helen weakly thumped him in the chest with her elbow.

“I’m serious, Nikola.”

“I am too.” He retaliated. “Perhaps we should consider giving her Godparents, should such a case come up.”

“Henry.” Helen said instantly. “If something happens to me, Will would be much too busy running the Sanctuary. He and Erica should be her Godparents.”

“The HAP? Really, Helen? There are a numerous amount of highly important people on your list of people you know and you can’t pick one of them?”

Another thump to the chest silenced Nikola’s train of thought then and there.

“Fine.” He grumbled. “But don’t expect me to die off that easily if those two are in charge of my future heir.”

“They’ll take good care of her if something happens to us. And if something happens to her . . . .”

“Don’t go there. Ever. At all.”

“It’s a bit harder than you think. As a parent, you’re constantly concerned over the well-being of your child. Trust me. It’ll hit you the minute you’re holding her.” Helen murmured. “I’m going to have to teach you everything about being a parent, aren’t I?”

“Pretty much, yeah.” Nikola said. “I’m sure I can pick up a few things on my own.”

“At last, some improvement.”

“I don’t make any promises.”

Helen lay there, listening to the rain and Nikola’s quiet breathing, her breaths eventually matching his the longer they lay there. Helen wasn’t exactly tired because of the panic that still coiled tight within her belly, but Nikola was doing enough to relieve that particular tension for the time being.

She was quickly coming to realize that Nikola was becoming her anchor to reality. Sure, Helen had her tangents and her issues and her arguments, but more often than not Nikola kept her grounded and within reason when she was starting to lose it. Albeit, he was half the reason she started to lose it in the first place, but still, he was starting to learn when her breaking point was, and often avoided it now.

But Helen couldn’t feel slight apprehension about their relationship. Silently, she ran her fingers along the bottom of the ring around her finger. For years she had been best friends with Nikola, but what happened if their relationship together spoiled that? Yes, he was annoying and yes he depleted her wine cellars, but if they fought and shattered their relationship, it would also shatter a friendship Helen highly valued. Otherwise she wouldn’t have put up with him as long as she had.

“Stop it.”

Helen’s lips quirked into a tired half smirk.

“What?”

“I can practically see the negativity radiating from you.”

It still amazed her on how aware he was of things, even as a vampire.

“Do you think we’re right for each other, Nikola?” She inquired quietly. “As best friends I have no doubt, but as what we are now?”

“If it’s any condolence, I was going to ask you to marry me back at Oxford before you decided to announce you and Johnny-boy were courting.” He replied, voice thick with sleep. “Goodnight, Helen.”

“Goodnight, Nikola.”

Vaguely, Helen wondered what her life would be like should he have asked her first. There were numerous possibilities, both good and bad. It was a path she would have liked to experience – at least, perhaps, with Nikola she would have experienced less heartbreak than she had with John. But the past was the past and she couldn’t change it, so she was taking advantage of it now.

Besides, she did rather like the sound of Dr. Helen Tesla.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reviews make my day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being in labor does not sit well with Helen Magnus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the lovely kudos and reviews! Glad you're enjoying! Continue to enjoy!

Since working was not on Helen’s agenda, everything else seemed to be. While she was officially banned from paperwork and other things that didn’t require her specific attention or signature, it left Helen to work in the infirmary and run tests. Otherwise, she often found herself in the library reading, taking notes of what she needed and intended to look into once she was actually able to do it. Today, she was indeed in the library reading, enjoying the serene silence that she was normally robbed of on any given day in the sanctuary.

“I come bearing finished reports from Wilhelm.”

Helen looked up from her book as Nikola entered, a stack of papers in his hand. He tossed them onto her desk with a slight look of distaste. He strode over to the couch and pressed a kiss to her forehead before falling into the cushions at her feet.

“I’m exhausted.” He muttered as Helen sat up to take a drink of tea from the tray on the coffee table, picking up another cracker covered in peanut butter to nibble at.

“What have you done today?”

“Absolutely nothing.”

Helen shook her head at him as she dusted her fingers free of crumbs and marked her page in her book. Nikola took it from her hands and examined the cover with what was likely fake interest before he set it on the coffee table next to the tea tray. Nikola pulled her legs out straight and rested them in his lap, fingers trailing along the exposed skin right up to the hem of her skirt.

“So you’ve come to annoy me?” Helen challenged and he met her gaze with a teasing smirk.

“Don’t I always? Besides, what else is there to do?”

“You could be helping Henry with updates to the EM shield, you could be helping Will with paperwork, a few things in the nursery still need to be finished, I’m in the need of more tea myself – need I go on?” Helen said with a smirk across her lips. Nikola rolled his eyes and leaned his head back, shutting his eyes for a long moment.

“I’m being lazy while I can. I’ve been told several times I’ll never get the chance again once demon spawn graces us with her presence.” Nikola murmured. Helen smiled to herself.

“That’s quite true. But you’re a vampire. It should be no problem for you.”

He pulled a face, but said nothing more. Helen grabbed her book and returned to it as the pair of them fell into silence, Nikola’s fingers tracing invisible patterns along Helen’s legs. Eventually, he grabbed several pages of the notes Helen had been taking earlier and began to flip through them. Helen stared at her book, not really reading anymore as her thoughts wandered.

Seeing Nikola as a father – it was just something her mind could not truly process yet. Surely it would kick in sooner or later, but not once had she imagined him with a child, let alone with her child. Their child. Their daughter. Helen certainly hoped he could fill the role of a father well enough. It would certainly be interesting if not somewhat challenging for Helen herself, seeing as she’d never had to contend with a father figure with Ashley. It was new to her as well – all decisions regarding their daughter would be between them. Helen wasn’t so sure she would like the idea of sharing; she’d grown far too accustomed to being a single parent, not having to share her child with anyone.

Now, she had to play nicely and share. It would take her a while to get used to letting her daughter out of her sight, however, just for the pure terror that would likely run through her. She had experienced the same thing with Ashley several times, but this time Helen had already figured out she was going to be over-protective, if not slightly neurotic. But some of the best parents were – and eventually, she could adjust. She always did.

As if the baby currently inhabiting her like a parasite could hear her thoughts about it, she kicked Helen rather hard. Helen rested her palm over the place she had kicked as she flipped a page in her book and continued to read about the historical whirlwind romance between a couple in Victorian Era London.

She was mildly concerned, however, when the minor discomfort from the baby kicking suddenly turned into a sharp pain that wrapped around her lower half like a snake, inching along to her back and wrapping around her front again. Helen frowned and sat her book down, waiting for it to subside, but it didn’t. The sharp pain continued for a long moment before it dulled. Not completely gone, just dulled down to a somewhat minor annoyance.

Nikola was watching her again, gaze somewhat suspicious as Helen sat up, hands still on her stomach. The pain was returning; Helen reached out to grab Nikola’s fingers blindly as she took a breath, praying to whatever God was listening that this pain was not what she was thinking it was. It sure as hell felt like it, though, much to her concern; but going into labor a month early was not in Helen’s plans.

“What’s the matter?” Nikola inquired, obviously sensing Helen’s distress as she developed a somewhat irregular breathing pattern, trying to get through the pain. Yes, definitely a contraction, she decided then and there. Her fingers curled tighter around Nikola’s, not caring if she happened to harm him or not.

“Seems the baby’s just as impatient as you.” Helen murmured as the pain subsided again and her gaze snapped up to him. Nikola instantly understood and jumped off the couch, helping her to stand in one fluid movement.

“Do you need me to carry you?”

“I can walk. It’s better for me to walk.” Helen replied, resting her hand on his shoulder, fingers digging in. His arm wrapped around her waist and he easily helped to support her as she began toward the door. She hadn’t felt pain like that in quite some time – vaguely, she wondered if she could take back what she said to Erica about not using pain relievers.

Another pain wrapped around her abdomen in the elevator. The contractions were already rather close together, giving Helen the sneaking suspicion that what she had thought had been minor kicks all day had actually been contractions winding their way through her. They were only just getting worse as they grew closer together, much to her dismay. Apparently she was going to be a mother (again) today.

Erica met them inside the infirmary. She had just arrived a few days ago and Helen was quite glad she had come a bit early, as it seemed her baby had gotten the same idea. With help from Nikola, they wrestled a meekly protesting Helen into one of the infirmary gowns and helped her into one of the beds. Helen’s hand did not leave Nikola’s.

“You still have a few hours at least, I’m afraid.” Erica diagnosed after checking over Helen’s and the baby’s vitals. Her head fells back into the pillows with an irritated look. “Try to distract yourself, eat, and drink fluids, Dr. Magnus. Nikola, make sure she does. I’ll be right over there if you need me.”

Erica left them alone then, giving Nikola a chance to pull up a chair with his free hand so he could sit beside Helen’s bed. She had relinquished her hold on his hand for the time being. She ground her teeth against the next contraction, wrapping her fingers within the sheets of the bed. Nikola brushed hair from her face silently, mildly unsure of what else he could do.

Together, they passed the first hour with Helen reading and drinking water that Big Guy continually kept her supplied with. She received a visit from Kate, Will, and Henry all at once, all promising to return when the baby was born. It was if they could sense that Helen was becoming a ticking time bomb.

And she was.

Her entire world was coming to an end. Her spine had been ripped out and her pelvic bone was following. Sweat rolled off her skin, making her infirmary gown and hair stick like a second layer. Breathing made her angry, the color of the wall made her angry, and the hands that kept touching her, trying to comfort her, were making her angry. A black hole could have opened up and swallowed the entire sanctuary and there was a fat chance that she wouldn’t have cared either way. But something was going to happen if someone didn’t stop her pain _right now_.

No, being in labor did not sit well with Helen.

Second children were always the easier, everyone had said. It wouldn’t be so bad, everyone had said. Well, that was the last time she listened to anyone - and it was the last time she ever thought about being pregnant again. Ashley had been one thing, but this demon child that she had so carefully nurtured the past several months apparently already hated her. Otherwise it wouldn’t have hurt as much as it did.

“I would hate to see how bad this would be if I’d actually carried to full term.” She muttered between gritted teeth, hand clenched so tightly around Nikola’s that it was a wonder that the man’s fingers weren’t snapped in half.

“You’ve done this before, you can do it again.” Nikola said.

“That was too long ago for me to remember.” Helen muttered as she adjusted herself the small pause between the contractions.

“But you’re a doctor. You know how this works.”

“I know that. I never said I liked the way it works.”

Erica convinced her to begin walking around, so Helen began to lap the infirmary at a slow pace. Her legs wanted to give out, but Nikola kept her steady. His hands were on her waist, drifting up to her lower back every once in a while to make soothing circles and downward motions across her skin. Whenever she stopped, she rested her head against his chest to wait for the contraction to pass.

“I’ve been shot before, but this . . . _this bloody hurts._ ” She breathed as the most recent contraction passed and she was able to look up at him.

“I know. It’ll be over soon.” He assured.

“This thing truly is a demon.” She groaned and tightened her fingers on his again. He only chuckled and placed a kiss to the top of her forehead.

“I’m sure she’ll appreciate being called that.”

They continued their routine until Helen’s water finally broke and she could no longer stand because the pain had increased ten-fold. After changing, she fell back into bed and Erica continued to hover.

“You’re doing just fine, Dr. Magnus.” Erica said. Helen had the urge to hit her. She wasn’t doing fine – with all the pain she felt, Helen knew she had to be dying. She tried to distract herself by studying Nikola, who seemed several light-years away, a confused expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

“I can hear her heartbeat.” He mused, looking back at Helen. “I couldn’t before because something was interfering, but now it’s just . . .there. Clear as day.”

Helen smiled and pressed a kiss to his fingers as she held them.

More pain enveloped her soon after, so Helen was quite distracted. The pain was near unbearable now, and the contractions had grown so close together that there was no pause between.

“All right, Dr. Magnus.” Erica began, helping Helen to sit up. Nikola’s arm wrapped tight around Helen’s shoulders to help support her, his other hand clutching hers. She practically radiated panic and fear suddenly, knowing within moments she was going to be a mother again. Even with a preparation of nearly eight months, she still wasn’t sure she was completely ready. It was too late to go back on that decision now. She was surprised Nikola wasn’t more worried than he was – whether he was actually calm, or if he was appearing as such for her sake, she didn’t know.

“With the next contraction, I need you to push.” Erica ordered.

As the next pain ripped through her, Helen obeyed and put all her effort into getting the baby out of her once and for all. Her entire body ached and protested to every movement she gave, but she ignored it all. She was only vaguely aware that there were indeed others in the room with her, and she was only vaguely aware of letting out a stream of various swears in a multitude of languages.

The anger she had held before now increased as well. Nikola’s hand was her lifeline to the world as far as Helen was concerned, and it was keeping her anchored down to the bed. Both Nikola and Erica were saying things to her but their voices melded together in an unintelligible blur, and for a moment Helen thought she was going to pass out from sheer pain and exhaustion.

“If I ever mention becoming pregnant again, talk me out of it.” She muttered between clenched teeth to whichever one of them was listening. Her nails dug into Nikola’s hand and the sheets of the bed as pain rippled through her, this time centering lower on her body as if it were a ball of energy waiting to be expelled. In essence, that’s what it was, and  Helen was looking forward to the moment it got the hell out of her body.

“My lucky number is three . . . .” Nikola began with a cheeky grin and she glared at him. He didn’t finish that particular thought.

“Breathe, Helen.” Nikola urged her and she felt one of his hands brush hair from her face. Helen realized she had been holding her breath and let it all out at once with a heavy sigh. Focusing on breathing and pushing and pain all at once was not something she could handle. She cursed herself, she cursed Nikola and Erica, and she cursed every individual in the sanctuary. The world was next on her list.

Something shifted, changed, and moved before it slipped free and she was left feeling exhausted, empty, and somewhat free. Her eyes flew open - when had she closed them? - and she saw Erica disappear around the corner. Had she the strength, Helen would have followed her as quickly as possible. For the moment, however, she was content with sitting more up on her own, Nikola’s hand still clutching hers. His other hand came up to pull the hair off of Helen’s sweaty and sticky neck. She was suddenly aware of how disgusting and gross she probably looked - a shower sounded wonderful in that moment.

“Look. You made it.” Nikola grinned at her and if she’d felt up to it, she probably would have attempted to hit him. Instead she tightened her grip around his fingers one last time before releasing them. He teasingly flexed them before they took up rubbing a pattern along her arm, as if it would help cool her off. His skin was cold against hers and she wanted nothing more for him to crawl into bed with her. However, Erica’s reappearance caught her attention.

“I believe this belongs to you.” She said and placed a squirming baby into Helen’s waiting arms. A warmth instantly washed over her, different from the heat that already consumed her. This one was familiar, a motherly warmth as her connection with her daughter established far more firmly than it had been before. Helen ran a gentle finger along the curve of her daughter’s cheek, tracing the jawline down. She already had a full head of hair that was black as the darkest of nights, and eyes that were a distinct shade of blue that appeared to be a natural blend of Nikola’s and her own. Her skin was still reddened, but it was already starting to turn paler in color.

“I must say, Mr. Tesla,” Helen began quietly, looking at him with a dazzling smile. “This is your greatest invention yet.”

He grinned in a cocky manner.

“I’m quite inclined to agree. Marconi can’t steal this one, either.”

Helen laughed quietly, watching as Nikola traced the path along the baby’s cheek that Helen had moved along, his hand eventually moving to one of their daughter’s, running his thumb along the tiny ridges of her ever so frail knuckles. She was small, of course, being premature, but still and acceptable weight it seemed. Either way, Erica returned a few minutes later with a clipboard and whisked the baby away again. Helen was left staring at a blank birth certificate with a pen in her hand.

“We never decided on a name.” Helen mused, looking at him.

“There was that instance where you threatened to name her Thomas Edison Tesla if I didn’t get you tea and shortbread.” Nikola replied in all seriousness. Helen shook her head.

“Be serious, Nikola.”

“I thought I was?”

“Wasn’t there any names you liked from the ones we picked?”

“I did happen to like Evelyn.”

“Evelyn it is, then.” Helen replied, signing it on the certificate. She scrawled Nicole next to it for the middle name, and Tesla for the last before she signed her own name across the bottom on the appropriate line. She handed it to Nikola for him to sign, ignoring the slight eyebrow arch she received in exchange.

“Are you okay?” He asked after he had scrawled his name at the bottom next to hers. She nodded and leaned over to kiss him briefly.

“Never better.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this isn't the end! There are - hopefully - plenty more chapters to come!

**Author's Note:**

> I may continue it as some sort of series. Thoughts?


End file.
